How to Get an A* in A Level Chemistry (9701): Paper-by-Paper Strategy

How is the A* awarded in Cambridge A Level Chemistry (9701)?

The A* in Cambridge International A Level Chemistry (9701) is awarded on your total weighted mark across all five papers, not on any single paper. Cambridge sets thresholds after each series for each combination of papers. In June 2026, the linear combinations below needed between 77.3% and 84.2% of the maximum weighted mark.

Cambridge states that grade A* does not exist on individual papers; the A* for each combination is calculated from that combination's A and B thresholds and maximum mark. These figures are copied from the official 9701 June 2026 grade threshold table, for candidates who sat all five papers in one series:

The papers add up to 270 raw marks, but Cambridge weights them to a maximum of 260. The A* also moves by several percentage points between variants in one series, so compare practice scores with the row for the components you sat. Only A Level candidates can receive A* to E; AS Level is graded a to e. Our guide to what percentage is an A* explains thresholds in more detail.

What is the 9701 paper structure?

Cambridge 9701 has five papers. Papers 1, 2 and 3 form the AS Level and 50% of the A Level; Papers 4 and 5 form the other 50%. Paper 4, the A Level structured paper, is the largest single paper at 38.5%, and the two practical-skills papers together carry 23%.

The figures below are from the 9701 syllabus for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The 2028–2030 syllabus keeps the same five papers, durations, marks and weightings.

You can sit all five papers in one series (linear) or stage the A Level, carrying your AS result forward subject to Cambridge's rules and time limits. The syllabus warns that misusing units or significant figures is liable to be penalised on every paper.

How do you score highly on Papers 1 and 2?

Papers 1 and 2 test the AS content and together carry 38.5% of the 9701 A Level. Paper 1 rewards fast, accurate recall across all 22 AS topics; Paper 2 rewards precise definitions, balanced equations and fully shown calculations. Both depend on learning the details exactly, not approximately.

• Paper 1. Forty questions in 75 minutes is under two minutes each. Do a first pass, mark hard questions and return. The June 2024 examiner report stressed careful reading, correct chemical vocabulary and basic formulae such as O₂ and Fe.
• Paper 2. Learn the syllabus definitions word for word, and balance every equation.
• Calculations. Show working so method marks survive a slip, and keep intermediate values unrounded; examiners noted that early rounding made final answers inaccurate.
• "Explain" questions. Do not just state a rule. Link it to structure and bonding to give the reason.

How do you master Paper 4 (A Level structured questions)?

Paper 4 of Cambridge A Level Chemistry (9701) is 100 marks in 2 hours, worth 38.5% of the A Level, and it assumes all the AS content. It is the most important paper for an A*. Prioritise physical chemistry calculations, organic mechanisms and synthesis routes, and transition element chemistry.

The A Level topics are chemical energetics, electrochemistry, equilibria, reaction kinetics, Group 2, transition elements, A Level organic chemistry (including nitrogen compounds, polymerisation and organic synthesis) and analytical techniques such as NMR.

Paper 4 strategy

• Curly arrows. The June 2024 report emphasised that arrows must start and finish at a precise place: from a lone pair or bond, to an atom.
• Structures. Use displayed, structural or skeletal formulae, but do not mix types in one structure. The syllabus has a section on expected conventions for organic structures.
• Equations. Balance ionic equations and half-equations for both atoms and charge.
• Significant figures. Examiners accept two significant figures as a minimum but prefer three; keep the full calculator value between stages.
• Handwriting. Examiners do not credit words or digits that could be read two ways, such as exothermic and endothermic, or 4 and 9.
• Data. The syllabus includes a data section with constants, bond energies, electrode potentials, NMR and IR tables and the Periodic Table. Learn where each value is so you find it quickly.

How do you prepare for Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills)?

Paper 3 of Cambridge A Level Chemistry (9701) is a 2-hour laboratory exam worth 40 marks and 11.5% of the A Level. One question is qualitative analysis of unknown substances; the others are quantitative, involving a titration or a measurement such as time, temperature, mass or gas volume. Regular hands-on practice is the most reliable preparation.

The syllabus sets minimum mark allocations: 12 marks for manipulation, measurement and observation, 6 for presentation of data, and 10 for analysis, conclusions and evaluation, with the remaining 12 varying by paper. It also recommends that learners spend at least 20% of their course time on practical work.

Paper 3 strategy

• Record burette readings to the nearest 0.05 cm³, and temperatures to the nearest 0.5 °C on a thermometer marked in 1 °C intervals.
• Aim for concordant titres, which the syllabus defines as two titres within 0.10 cm³.
• Give calculated values to the same number of significant figures as the least precise data, or one more.
• Draw your results table before starting the experiment, with headings and units.
• In qualitative tests, name reagents fully and describe observations precisely, using the wording in the qualitative analysis notes printed in the paper.

How do you tackle Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation)?

Paper 5 of Cambridge A Level Chemistry (9701) is a 1 hour 15 minute written paper worth 30 marks and 11.5% of the A Level. It tests planning an experiment and analysing and evaluating given data, at least 12 marks each. Contexts may be outside the syllabus content, so practical experience matters more than memorised experiments.

Paper 5 strategy

• Planning. Identify the independent and dependent variables and what to keep constant; give a method with specific apparatus and quantities, such as a 25.0 cm³ volumetric pipette.
• Hypotheses. A prediction may be asked for as a written hypothesis or as a sketch graph.
• Gradients. Take points from your line of best fit, not from the plotted data, as the June 2024 report advised.
• Technique. Know when to rinse: rinse a beaker into a volumetric flask, but not a burette or pipette, which deliver a set volume.
• Precision. Give most answers to three significant figures; examiners said one significant figure is almost always insufficient.

Where do 9701 candidates lose the most marks?

Cambridge's June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for 9701 shows the same problems across papers: loose definitions, unbalanced equations, imprecise curly arrows, early rounding, vague practical observations and illegible or overwritten answers. These are habits rather than gaps in understanding, so a disciplined marking routine fixes many of them.

• Overwriting. Cross out a wrong answer and rewrite it nearby; writing over it scans poorly and may not be credited.
• Ignoring the introduction. Practical and application questions put the data you need in the introduction.
• Vague observations. "It changes colour" rarely earns credit; give the starting and final colours.

What does an A* revision timeline for 9701 look like?

An A* revision plan for 9701 finishes the content first, then moves to topical questions and finally to full timed papers. Allow at least four to six months, give Paper 4 the largest share of time because it carries 38.5%, and practise Paper 3 and Paper 5 skills every week.

Practise with our past papers, check the A Level grade boundaries, and confirm your series dates on the exam dates page. Our guide to an A* in A Level Physics uses the same five-paper method.

How does the A* work in Edexcel International A Level Chemistry?

Pearson Edexcel International A Level Chemistry (YCH11) has six units, all available in January, June and October. An A* needs grade A overall (at least 480 of 600 UMS) and at least 270 of the 300 UMS available across the three A2 units: Units 4, 5 and 6.

Units 1 to 3 make up the International AS (XCH11). Because the A* depends on 90% of the A2 uniform marks, Units 4 to 6 deserve the same priority as Cambridge Paper 4. Read Cambridge vs Edexcel for a full comparison.

Getting help

Heights International Academy offers live online A Level Chemistry tutoring for Cambridge 9701 and Edexcel IAL, focused on mechanisms, calculations and practical papers, alongside A Level Biology and A Level Mathematics. See our pricing or book a free trial class.